Comments for Jim Other sermons.                 

Given the nature of the world today, it is harder and harder for Christians of conscience to use the phrase "conversion to Christ." Radical Christian Daniel Berrigan always said, "I am not trying to convert anyone. I am still trying to convert myself." Conversion implies changing what you are into something else that now makes you acceptable. But acceptable to whom? It usually means acceptable to us – the "in group." Such an understanding of conversion directly contradicts the central teaching of Christianity – the belief that we are each accepted by God just as we are right now. In God’s eyes this means "accepting that we are accepted."

Take the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. Philip was born a Jew and became a Christian through the experience of the Holy Spirit. He is one of those missionaries who helped spread Christianity beyond traditional Jewish lands. The Holy Spirit calls him to travel south from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he encounters this rather odd character, the Ethiopian eunuch. This man is a court official of the African Queen, Candace. He is a convert to Judaism, returning home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When Philip encounters him, he is riding in his chariot reading from the Prophet Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible (probably in a Greek translation). We haven’t a clue how or why this man became a Jew. And it is a bit startling because the Jewish law did not look favorably on eunuchs. So here he is reading this scripture (of which he is mostly clueless), and he sees Philip and invites him aboard the chariot. There these two odd fellows have a theological discussion: this sexually marginalized African Jewish convert to Judaism and this Hebrew convert to Christianity. We aren’t told exactly what Philip says except that he proclaimed the Good News about Jesus. And hearing it and passing by a river, the Ethiopian proclaimed, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?"

So what happened here? This person who came from a world far distant and far different from that of Philip’s simply said, "Can it be that this Good News is for me? I want to join the community of those who experience this Spirit." And so he was baptized by Philip. He simply said, in response to what he heard, "Can I be included?"

What Christians are called to do is to proclaim and live the Good News of God’s love in such a way that people can see how attractive it is. God’s grace is appealing. And when someone says, "How can I be a part of this?" we say, "Welcome aboard. You already are a part of it. We want to include you, because God has already included you. Just as you are." In other words, one’s sincere intention is all that is necessary. And notice that what is missing in this story is any reference to what the Ethiopian has to do or believe or change in order to be acceptable. And, frankly, this was a pretty bizarre guy. Doesn’t matter. Why? If God has already included him, who are we to judge?

One of the lovable things about the United Church of Christ is that we have the courage to talk about inclusion, in a world that is all about exclusion. Conversion always presupposes a world made up of "in" groups and the "out" groups. Not so with God.

What then is the meaning of baptism in this? The washing of the water is not so much about cleansing from sin, as it is the abundant raining down of the Spirit. Baptism is God’s giving birth to each of us in a new way. Paul said, "In Christ we are new creations." Every time we welcome and include the newcomer, however different from us she or he may be, it is an opportunity for all of us to be recreated in the Spirit. AMEN.

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